AUSTRALIAN RESUSCITATION COUNCIL
CHAIRMAN
Professor I G Jacobs, BAppSc, DipEd, PhD, RN, FRCNA
DEPUTY CHAIRMAN
A/Professor P Morley, MB BS, FRACP, FANZCA, FJFICM
CHAIRMAN’S INVITATION
Dear Colleague,
The Tenth International “Spark of Life” Conference will be held in Melbourne on 16 – 18 April 2015 with the theme
of “Front Line to Recovery”. The scientific content of the program promises to deliver the latest resuscitation science
and importantly its translation to resuscitation practice, thereby strengthening each of the links in the “chain of survival“.
A faculty of international and Australian speakers with expertise in many facts of resuscitation have accepted our
invitation to participate in the conference. The conference program is designed to ensure the content will
be relevant and informative to all involved in resuscitation teaching and practice.
This conference is being held in Melbourne at the Hilton on the Park, East Melbourne. Consistent with previous Spark
of Life conferences, a significant Trade Exhibition will give conference participants the opportunity to view
and explore the latest in resuscitation equipment and training materials. Pre-conference workshops will also be held
prior to the conference where participants will be able to undertake specific and concentrated educational activities.
The Spark of Life conference provides an excellent opportunity to update knowledge as well as meet with old friends
and make new acquaintances. I warmly welcome you to attend the 10th Spark of Life conference and look forward to
meeting you in Melbourne in 2015.
Professor Ian Jacobs
National Chairman
INTERNATIONAL KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Professor Maaret CASTREN (Finland)
Maaret Castrén is a nurse, an anesthesiologist and an emergency
physician. She is at the moment working as the Medical Director of
the Emergency Care, HUCS in Helsinki, Finland. She became the
first professor of Emergency Medicine in Sweden at Karolinska
Institutet 2007, and the first professor in Emergency Medicine in
Finland at Turku University 2012. She has an international
research group validated as excellent, near to outstanding when
the Karolinska research groups were validated by external experts.
Maaret has been the Chair of European Resuscitation Council
since 2012 and is the Co-chair for the ILOR Cguidelines congress
2015.
Professor Gavin PERKINS (UK)
Gavin Perkins is Professor of Critical Care Medicine at the
University of Warwick and Consultant Physician at Heart
of England NHS Foundation Trust and Medical Emergency
Resuscitation Team (MERIT) Consultant with West Midlands
Ambulance Service.
Prof Perkins graduated from the University of Birmingham and
trained in the West Midlands region, initially as a respiratory
physician before specialising in critical care medicine. He has a
long-standing interest in cardiac arrest care and has established
research programmes to explore the effectiveness of CPR
feedback devices, mechanical CPR devices and debriefing as
tools to improve outcomes from cardiac arrest.
He currently serves as a Director of Research for the UK Intensive
Care Foundation and Chair of the Resuscitation Council (UK)
Advanced Life Support Committee and European Resuscitation
Council BLS / AED Working Group. He also Chairs the
International Liaison Committee for Resuscitation BLS/AED Task
Force.
Mr Jonathon WEBBER (New Zealand)
Jonathon Webber is an Advanced Qualified Lifeguard with over 25
years’ experience at Piha Beach on Auckland’s West Coast and an
Honorary Senior Clinical Tutor in the Department of
Anaesthesiology at the University of Auckland and Resuscitation
Officer at Auckland City Hospital.
Jonathon’s voluntary roles include: Senior Advisor to Pakistan
Aquatic Life Saving, Board Member for WaterSafe Auckland, and
member of the Piha SLSC Callout Squad. For Surf Life Saving
Northern Region (NZ), he has held the roles of Director of
Lifesaving, Director of Regional Services, Duty Operations Officer,
and Medical Advisory Group member. He currently represents Surf
Life Saving New Zealand on the New Zealand Resuscitation
Council and is a member of the International Life Saving
Federation Rescue Operations and Medical committees.
Jonathon has authored and co-authored several journal articles,
textbook chapters and national surf lifesaving policies.
He has presented and published work on drowning detection and
response, lifeguard perception and performance of CPR, leisurerelated injuries at NZ beaches, and airway management, first aid
training and resuscitation in the aquatic environment.
AUSTRALASIAN VISITOR
A/Professor Ian CIVIL (New Zealand)
Ian is a graduate of the University of Auckland School of Medicine
completing his MBChB in 1976 . His initial surgical training was
undertaken in Auckland where he completed his general surgical
fellowship in 1983. In the mid-80s he worked in the USA for three
years, first as a vascular surgery fellow at the Cleveland Clinic and
then as a trauma fellow in the Southern New Jersey Regional
Trauma Center in Camden, NJ.
After returning to NZ in 1987, Ian took up a combined University of
Auckland/Royal NZ Army Medical Corps appointment in which he
served for 5 years. In 1990-1 he led the NZ Army Medical Team to
the first Gulf War.
He has served on a number of international trauma organisations
becoming President of the Association for the Advancement of
Automotive Medicine (AAAM) in 1999 and President of the
International Association for the Surgery of Trauma and Intensive
Care (IATSIC) from 2007-2009. Ian is a founding member of the
Australasian Trauma Society and served as President from 20112013. He was a RACS Councillor from 2003-2012 and from 20102012 served as President.
Ian is a member of the Editorial Boards for the World Journal of
Surgery and the World Journal of Emergency Surgery, Associate
Editor of Traffic Injury Prevention, Senior Editor of the Australian
and NZ Journal of Surgery and Deputy Editor of INJURY.
In 2012 Ian was appointed Clinical Leader of the Major Trauma
National Clinical Network for the Ministry of Health and ACC, and
Clinical Leader of the Perioperative Harm Advisory Group for the
Health Quality and Safety Commission. Ian is an Associate
Professor of Surgery with the University of Auckland and practices
as a General and Vascular surgeon at Auckland City Hospital where
he is the Director of Trauma Services.
PRELIMINARY PROGRAM
FRIDAY 17 April 2015
0830–1030
Welcome
(1 x 30 mins)
Chair: National Chairman
Prof Ian Jacobs
Plenary I
(2 x 45 mins)
“Don Harrison Perpetual Lecture”
Resuscitation in Trauma
Important things I have learnt.
Australasian Visitor
A/Prof Ian Civil
Emergency Medical Dispatch
The good, the bad and the ugly
Prof Maaret Castren
1030-1100
Morning Tea
1100-1300
Plenary II
(4 x 30 mins)
1300-1400
Chair: Prof Hugh Grantham
Mechanical CPR
What you need to know!
Prof Gavin Perkins
Resuscitation Outcomes
Separating fact from fiction
Prof Judith Finn
Drowning
An update – what we need to know
Mr Jonathon Webber
Advances in Trauma Care
New and promising therapies
A/Prof Ian Civil
Lunch
1400-1530 (3 concurrent sessions)
1530-1600
Afternoon tea
1600-1730
Plenary III
(3x30mins)
1730
Close
1930
Conference Dinner
FREE PAPER SESSIONS
Chair: A/Prof Paul Middleton
Quality CPR
Nice idea but does it really improve survival?
A/Prof Peter Morley
Post Resuscitation Care
Can we do better?
A/Prof Stephen Bernard
Prognostication in Cardiac Arrest
Are we getting it right?
Prof Gavin Perkins
SATURDAY 18 April 2015
0830-1030
Plenary IV
(4 x30 mins)
Chair: Prof Julie Considine
Therapeutic Hypothermia
Prof Maaret Castren
What does the evidence really tells us..?
Community Engagement
A/Prof Tony Walker
Improving the community response to cardiac arrest
Resuscitation during battle
Prof Michael Reade
Translating this experience to the civilian setting
Resuscitation training
The future of ALS courses in Australia
1030-1100
Morning tea
1100-1300
Plenary V
(4x30mins)
1300 – 1400
Lunch
1400-1530
Plenary VI
(3 x 30 mins)
Chairs: Dr Fin Macneil
The use of oxygen in emergency care
Are we over doing it!
Mr Michael Gale
A/Prof Michael Parr
Spinal Immobilisation
Much ado about nothing
Dr Natalie Hood
Street drugs
A rapidly changing field
Dr David Caldicott
(TBC)
Emerging Infectious diseases
Implications for resuscitation
(TBC)
Chair: Dr Peter Leman
Managing the paediatric arrest
Things you need to remember.
Recognising the deteriorating child
The key to improving survival
Dr Richard Aickin
Dr Stuart Lewena
Drowning prevention
Mr Jonathon Webber
New strategies to address an old problem
1530-1600
Afternoon tea
1600-1650
Plenary VII
1650 -1700
Chair: A/Prof Michael Parr
Q&A
Have those questions answered.
Expert Panel
Closing remarks
Prof Ian Jacobs